An Explanation of the Twelve Nidānas in the Āgama Sutras

Chapter Seven  The Sutra of the Old Woman Spoken by the Buddha

Original Text: Thus I have heard. Once, the Buddha was in the country of Vīraṇa. The place where he stayed was called Joyful Sound. At that time, he was together with eight hundred bhikṣus and ten thousand bodhisattvas.

Explanation: Ānanda said: I personally heard this sutra spoken by the Buddha. When the Buddha was once at the place called Joyful Sound in the country of Vīraṇa, he was together with eight hundred bhikṣus and ten thousand bodhisattvas, expounding the Dharma for these bhikṣus and bodhisattvas.

Bhikṣus generally refer to the constant followers who study the Four Noble Truths of suffering, origin, cessation, and path under the Buddha. Studying the Dharma of the Four Noble Truths can eradicate the view of self, realize the selflessness of persons, attain liberation from the suffering of birth and death in the three realms, and realize that the five aggregates and eighteen elements are suffering, empty, impermanent, and without self. Since the five aggregates and eighteen elements are suffering, that which suffers is not the self; they are empty, and that which is empty is not the self; they are impermanent, and that which is impermanent is not the self. The self is not suffering, the self is not empty, the self is permanent, yet the five aggregates and eighteen elements lack a real, permanent, non-suffering self-nature; therefore, the five aggregates and eighteen elements are not the self.

By accepting this principle, the erroneous view that the five aggregates are the self is eliminated, thus severing the perverted view that the five aggregates are the self. The three fetters that previously bound one to the cycle of birth and death are severed, and one attains the fruit of Stream-enterer (Srotāpanna). Subsequently, greed, hatred, and delusion become attenuated, and one attains the fruit of Once-returner (Sakṛdāgāmin). After cultivating the first dhyāna, one eradicates the greed of the desire realm, further eradicates hatred, and attains the fruit of Non-returner (Anāgāmin). Then, through further practice, self-conceit is completely severed, the clinging to self by the mental faculty is exhausted, the four abiding defilements of fundamental ignorance are completely severed, and one attains the fruit of Arhat (Arahant). When the time of life ends, the mental faculty of the Arhat no longer gives rise to the six consciousnesses contacting the six dusts, and the mental faculty also has no mental formations whatsoever. Thus, the six faculties, six dusts, and six consciousnesses are extinguished; the functions of the five aggregates of form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are extinguished, and one enters Nirvāṇa without residue, never returning to the three realms. This is liberation from birth and death, transcending the three realms.

Bodhisattvas are of two types: monastic and lay. Bodhisattvas primarily cultivate the six pāramitās: giving, precepts, patience, diligence, meditation, and prajñā wisdom, as well as all bodhisattva practices that benefit self and others. They traverse fifty-two stages: ten stages of faith, ten abodes, ten practices, ten dedications, ten grounds, equal enlightenment, and wonderful enlightenment. Through cultivation over three great asamkhyeya kalpas, they ultimately perfect and accomplish the Buddha Way.

In the practice of the six pāramitās, giving includes material giving, Dharma giving, and fearlessness giving. Upholding precepts includes upholding the five precepts of the Śrāvaka vehicle and the bodhisattva precepts of the Mahāyāna. Patience primarily involves taming one's own nature, cultivating patience towards all people, events, and principles, complying with emptiness, enduring the emptiness and selflessness of all dharmas in the five-aggregate world, and persisting diligently in practice without fear of difficulty. Diligence means being diligent in giving, amassing immeasurable merit; diligent in upholding precepts; diligent in cultivating patience; diligent in cultivating meditation; and diligent in cultivating prajñā wisdom. The fifth pāramitā is meditation; one must possess the power of concentration of the preliminary dhyāna or the first dhyāna, using this concentration to contemplate and investigate the Buddha Dharma, contemplating the principles of emptiness in both Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna, and realizing the fruit of emptiness. Finally, the pāramitā of prajñā wisdom involves studying the principles of prajñā and the Tathāgatagarbha, laying the foundation for realizing the mind and seeing the nature. These practices constitute the cultivation of the six pāramitās for bodhisattvas. When the six pāramitās are perfected, and conditions ripen, one will realize the endurance of non-arising (anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti) and the endurance of the non-arising of dharmas.

The endurance of non-arising means enduring the understanding that the five aggregates and eighteen elements have no real arising; they are all unreal dharmas produced by the Tathāgatagarbha, therefore all are empty, illusory, and false. One endures that all dharmas are unarisen, non-active, unreal, and non-existent; the dharmas of the five-aggregate world have no real arising, are all empty appearances and false appearances, lacking a real self-nature. Śrāvakas attaining the first to fourth fruits and realizing the selflessness of persons is also a type of endurance of non-arising. The endurance of non-arising for bodhisattvas is realizing the Tathāgatagarbha through seeing the nature, understanding the true reality of the Tathāgatagarbha as unborn and unceasing, real and not false, while simultaneously knowing that all dharmas are produced and transformed by the Tathāgatagarbha, are all false, arising and ceasing, unreal, and without self. This endurance is called the endurance of non-arising.

The wisdom of the endurance of the non-arising of dharmas far surpasses the wisdom of the endurance of non-arising. This is the wisdom cultivated and realized by bodhisattvas from the first ground up to Wonderful Enlightenment. Ground-level bodhisattvas realize that all dharmas of the threefold world produced by the Tathāgatagarbha are born from the Tathāgatagarbha, are all dharmas within the one true Dharma Realm, and are all of the nature of suchness. Therefore, their minds are quiescent and extinguished, able to endure without regression; this is called the endurance of the non-arising of dharmas. The wisdom of the endurance of the non-arising of dharmas for bodhisattvas increases progressively from ground to ground, only becoming perfectly complete at the Buddha ground. Before enlightenment, one cultivates the six pāramitās; after enlightenment, one further cultivates the inner-door six pāramitās for bodhisattvas. When conditions are fulfilled, one can enter the first ground. First-ground bodhisattvas, based on the six pāramitās, additionally cultivate the four pāramitās for bodhisattvas: skillful means, vow, power, and wisdom. After cultivating the ten pāramitās, one attains the fruit of the tenth-ground bodhisattva. This is the bodhisattva path cultivated by bodhisattvas.

Original Text: At that time, a poor old woman came to where the Buddha was. She touched her head to the ground, paid homage to the Buddha, and said to the Buddha, "I wish to ask something." The Buddha said, "Excellent, excellent, you may ask." The old woman said, "Human birth, old age, sickness, and death—from where do they come, and to where do they go? Form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness—from where do they come, and to where do they go? Eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind—from where do they come, and to where do they go? Earth, water, fire, wind, and space—from where do they come, and to where do they go?"

Explanation: During this great Dharma assembly, a very poor old woman came before the World-Honored One, touched her head to the ground, paid homage to the World-Honored One, and then said to the World-Honored One: "I have a question, may I ask you?" The Buddha said: "Excellent, excellent, you may ask." The old woman asked: "Where does human birth, old age, sickness, and death come from, and where do they go? Where do form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness come from, and where do they go? Where do eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind come from, and where do they go? Where do earth, water, fire, wind, and space come from, and where do they go?"

The old woman asked several questions in succession: one about birth, old age, sickness, and death; one about the five aggregates; one about the six faculties; and finally about the five great elements: earth, water, fire, wind, and space. These questions are all profound, fundamental issues in Buddhist practice, major issues concerning birth, death, and the cycle of the six paths. From the questions asked by the old woman, it can be seen that she is no ordinary person; her virtuous roots from past lives are very deep. If her virtuous roots were shallow, she would ask questions about worldly benefits, such as wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep.

The old woman sought to trace the root source of the great issue of birth and death. To seek the source of life involves an important Dharma door in Buddhist practice: the twelve links of dependent origination, studied by Pratyekabuddhas of the Middle Vehicle. The twelve links of dependent origination reveal the causes and conditions for the appearance and cessation of all dharmas of the five-aggregate world of sentient beings, the causes and conditions for the appearance and cessation of the phenomena of birth, old age, sickness, and death for sentient beings, and the causes and conditions for the birth, death, and cycle of sentient beings in the three realms and six paths. The questions asked by the old woman actually all pertain to the Dharma of dependent origination.

Arhats and Pratyekabuddhas cultivate the Four Noble Truths and the twelve links of dependent origination. Ultimately, by extinguishing fundamental ignorance and completely severing self-clinging, they can enter Nirvāṇa without residue. When the physical body and five aggregates are completely extinguished, birth, old age, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, and distress also cease. They will then leave suffering and attain bliss, transcending the cycle of birth and death in the three realms. However, Arhats and Pratyekabuddhas do not attain true bliss; they merely leave suffering. Without the physical body and five aggregates to undergo suffering, they leave the three realms, cease birth in the three realms, escape death in the three realms, and attain liberation from the three realms. Why do they not attain bliss? Because there is no five-aggregate body of the Arhats to experience bliss; without the body and mind that undergo suffering, there is naturally no body and mind to experience bliss. Suffering and bliss are both experienced by the arising-and-ceasing body and mind.

Briefly explain the concepts related to the questions asked by the old woman. The five aggregates refer to: the physical body from the fertilized egg until death, this period is called the aggregate of form; the aggregate of feeling is the feelings of suffering, bliss, and neither-suffering-nor-bliss, also called the six sense bases of feeling, which occur when the six faculties contact the six dusts; the aggregate of perception is the mind taking the appearances of the six dusts when the six faculties contact them, knowing the appearances of the six dusts, which is the discrimination of the six dusts by the six consciousnesses, also called the six sense bases of perception; the aggregate of formations refers to the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of the six consciousnesses, including the actions and creations of the body, the actions and contemplations of speech, and the actions and creations of thoughts and concepts. Formation means action, operation, flow, change; changes in time, shifts in location and direction, the momentary changes of bodily, verbal, and mental actions are the aggregate of formations. When the six consciousnesses discriminate the six dusts, there is the aggregate of formations. The aggregate of consciousness is the discriminating function of the six consciousnesses towards the six dusts.

The five great elements—earth, water, fire, wind, and space—that form the physical body are all great seeds in the Ālayavijñāna. The earth element is solidity, having the function of support and holding, such as the land, mountains, rivers, trees, metals, and minerals in the external world, which are primarily solid, dominated by the earth element. The body also has the earth element, such as bones, muscles, tendons, blood vessels, etc., primarily dominated by the earth element. The water element is moistness, such as rivers, oceans, various liquids, etc. In the body, urine, sweat, saliva, blood, tears, nasal mucus, etc., all belong to the moist water element. The fire element is heat, temperature, and energy, existing both externally and internally, such as sunlight, burning fire externally, and body temperature internally.

The wind element is the property of movement and flow, divided into external wind and internal wind in the body. External wind includes strong winds, typhoons, storms, and breezes in the universe and space—external wind. Internal wind in the body is breathing and the various energies circulating within the body. Because of the wind element's flowing property within the body, consumed food and drink can be digested, absorbed, and excreted bit by bit in the intestines and stomach; blood can flow; the heart and pulse can beat—all these involve the function of the wind element. Without wind, matter cannot flow, and the body cannot function. Wind represents fluidity, a kind of kinetic energy. The production of sentient beings' speech also cannot occur without the function of the wind element. When thoughts and contemplations arise in the mind, wind is produced; wind touches the navel, then the heart, then the trachea, tongue root, and mouth, and sound is emitted, speech is produced—this is also the function of the wind element.

The space element is the property of emptiness, divided into external space and the void, and internal spaces and voids within the body. Because there is space externally, it can contain all form dharmas, matter can move, sound, gases, and taste dust can propagate, various energies can be transmitted, and sentient beings can survive in space. The external void is formed by the collective output of space element seeds from the Ālayavijñāna of all sentient beings, collectively upheld by the Ālayavijñāna of all sentient beings. Various materials also have spaces and voids; differences in the amount of space cause differences in material structure, density, and physical properties. The space within matter is also formed and upheld collectively by the Ālayavijñāna of all sentient beings sharing collective karma.

Within the body, every tissue structure has spaces and voids. Because there is space, food, drink, gases, and blood can flow. Even the smallest cell tissues in the body have space; within the various molecular structures of cells, there are also spaces, so molecules, ions, and various particles can move, and cells can undergo metabolism. Therefore, the four great elements plus the space element constitute the threefold world of sentient beings; the five great seeds exist everywhere.

The Ālayavijñāna outputs the five great seeds; the five great seeds combine to form various substances, including external mountains, rivers, land, trees, rivers, and celestial bodies—all formed by the combination of the five great seeds, differing only in their proportions, resulting in different substances. Earth, water, fire, wind, and space also combine to create the physical bodies of sentient beings. For example, bones contain not only the earth element but also fire, wind, and water elements. However, the five great seeds of the physical body are output solely by the individual Ālayavijñāna of the sentient being with specific karma; the physical body is born and upheld solely by the individual Ālayavijñāna of the sentient being with specific karma.

External plants, trees, and flowers are also composed of the five great elements: earth, water, fire, wind, and space. For example, when wood is squeezed, water comes out, indicating it contains the water element; when ignited, it burns, indicating it contains the fire element; wood is hard, indicating it contains the earth element; wood can grow, indicating it contains the wind element; wood also has the space element—there are spaces, so wind can flow within it, and water can moisten it. Stone contains not only earth, water, fire, and space elements; when squeezed, water comes out; when struck, sparks fly; it also has spaces—gaps between molecules. Because there are spaces, molecules can move, and wind can flow within. Different proportions of the space element result in different types and properties of stone. Therefore, all matter is composed of earth, water, fire, wind, and space.

Original Text: The Buddha said, "Human birth, old age, sickness, and death—they come from nowhere and go nowhere. Form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness—they come from nowhere and go nowhere. Eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind—they come from nowhere and go nowhere. Earth, water, fire, wind, and space—they come from nowhere and go nowhere."

Explanation: The Buddha said: Human birth, old age, sickness, and death have no origin and no destination; form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness have no origin and no destination; eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind have no origin and no destination; earth, water, fire, wind, and space have no origin and no destination.

The World-Honored One spoke from the perspective of the empty appearance of the Śrāvaka and Pratyekabuddha vehicles, not from the true principle of the Mahāyāna, because the audience was of the two-vehicle capacity. The World-Honored One, following the capacity of the sentient beings, spoke from the empty appearance of dependent origination, not explaining the true meaning of the Mahāyāna. The Buddha said that human birth, old age, sickness, and death have no origin; if the human body had an origin, then we would investigate and search for this origin, but ultimately, we could not find it. If we say the human body comes from parents, from the mother's womb, from the fertilized egg, upon observation and examination, we find that parents and the fertilized egg also have no origin; therefore, the human body has no origin. If we say the human body comes from space, space also has no origin; therefore, the human body has no origin.

After sentient beings die and the physical body ceases, the human body also has no destination. If there were a destination, sentient beings have had countless physical bodies throughout lives; the accumulation of every physical body in a small kalpa would be taller than Mount Sumeru. Then, the accumulation of all sentient beings' physical bodies would fill space, leaving no void. Therefore, the human body comes without a source and ceases without a destination. For example, sickness—where does it come from? Where are these illnesses stored before they come into the body? Illness has no origin. After curing the illness, where does it go? If we say it goes into space, if space stored countless illnesses, sentient beings would all live amidst a field of illness, and there would be no time without illness. Therefore, illness does not go into space, nor to any other place; it has no origin and no destination. This shows that all dharmas are empty.

The aggregate of form has no origin or destination; the aggregate of feeling is the same. For example, when listening to music, one feels joy—where does this joyful feeling come from? When the joyful feeling disappears, where does it go? It has no origin or destination. The aggregate of perception also has no origin or destination; the knowing when seeing form—where does this knowing come from? When asleep, one does not know the external forms; where does this knowing go? There is no destination. The aggregate of formations similarly has no origin or destination; for example, where does the action of nailing a table come from? When the action of nailing the table ceases, where does it go? It has no origin or destination. The aggregate of consciousness—the discriminating and knowing nature of the six consciousnesses towards the six dusts—also has no origin and no destination.

All dharmas have no origin and no destination. For example, the trees in a forest—where do they come from? If we say they come from seeds, seeds are small and do not have the appearance of a big tree; moreover, seeds also have no origin, so the big tree has even less of an origin. Space also does not have the appearance of a big tree. After the tree is destroyed, where does it go? It has no destination. When a typhoon appears in space, where does it come from? Where was it hidden before it came? After the typhoon ceases, where does it go? It has no origin and no destination; it is fundamentally illusory.

When dark clouds fill the sky and rain falls, where do the raindrops come from? If we say they come from the clouds, the sky always has clouds, so why doesn't it rain constantly? If we say raindrops are hidden in space, space is permanent, so it should rain constantly. When the rain stops, the raindrops also have no destination; they cannot hide in the clouds or space. When the earth is destroyed, the raindrops falling from the sky are as big as elephants, causing floods that reach the first dhyāna heaven—so much water has even less place to hide. When the flood recedes, where does the water go? It has no destination. All dharmas come without a source and go without a destination.

When a fire burns dry grass externally, where was the fire before it ignited? It was not in the hand of the person lighting it nor in space; the fire has no origin, and when extinguished, it has no destination. If there were fire in space, everything would be burned, nothing would exist. If fire came from the sun, it would also burn everything at all times, and wherever it went would be ashes. For example, when a person feels dizzy and sees stars, where do those stars come from? If from space, others cannot see them, nor do they feel dizzy. If from the eyes, one should see stars constantly. When the dizziness stops, where do those stars go? They come without a source and go without a destination. Observing thus, one knows that all dharmas are entirely empty; nothing is real; they come empty and go empty, like a magician's illusion—no origin or destination can be found; they are all illusory false appearances.

Original Text: The Buddha said, "All dharmas are like this. For example, when two pieces of wood are rubbed together, fire emerges. The fire then burns the wood; when the wood is exhausted, the fire extinguishes." The Buddha asked the old woman, "Where did this fire originally come from? After extinguishing, where did it go?" The old woman replied to the Buddha, "When causes and conditions come together, fire is produced. When causes and conditions disperse, the fire extinguishes."

Explanation: The Buddha said: All dharmas are like this, coming without a source and going without a destination. For example, when two pieces of wood are rubbed together, fire emerges. The fire then burns the wood; when the wood is exhausted, the fire extinguishes. The Buddha asked the old woman: Where did this fire originally come from? After extinguishing, where did it go? The old woman replied to the Buddha: When causes and conditions come together, fire is produced; when causes and conditions disperse, the fire extinguishes.

What are the causes and conditions for fire to arise? Two pieces of wood are brought together by human effort and rubbed; when rubbed to a certain degree, warmth appears, the wood heats up, and fire is produced. The two pieces of wood, the person, and the human effort—these conditions come together, plus the cause for fire production—the fire element seed in the Ālayavijñāna—thus, when causes and conditions come together, fire arises. Like two hands, rubbing them together produces heat; the cause and condition for the heat to appear is the two hands coming together and rubbing with effort. Rubbing two hands together cannot produce fire because that condition is not the condition for producing fire.

For example, sentient beings are born into this world due to causes and conditions; only when causes and conditions come together can they be born into this world. What are the causes and conditions for being born into this world? First, there must be the seeds of karma in the three realms, then the condition of parents, and the mind of greed. When these conditions plus the cause—the Ālayavijñāna—come together, sentient beings can enter the womb and be born. When the conditions for sentient beings in this world disperse, life ends. Therefore, all dharmas are born from causes and conditions; dharmas born from causes and conditions are empty; dharmas dependent on causes and conditions are non-autonomous, illusory, and false.

Original Text: The Buddha said, "All dharmas are like this. They are formed when causes and conditions come together. When causes and conditions disperse, they cease. All dharmas also come from nowhere and go nowhere. The eye seeing a beautiful form is the mind. The mind is form. Both are empty. They are formed without origin. Their cessation is also like this."

Explanation: The Buddha said: All dharmas are like this; when causes and conditions come together, they are born; when causes and conditions disperse, they cease. All dharmas come from nowhere and go nowhere. The eye seeing a beautiful form is the mind; the mind is form; both mind and form are empty; they arise without an origin and cease without a destination.

All dharmas include form dharmas and mind dharmas; any dharma is formed only when causes and conditions come together. If conditions are insufficient, no dharma can arise. The arising of various dharmas has their corresponding causes and conditions; if one condition disperses, the dharma ceases. Therefore, without any one condition, the dharma cannot arise. For example, for me to speak the Dharma here requires a place, a computer, an audience, my physical health, light, and other external conditions; lacking one condition, the act of speaking the Dharma cannot be accomplished. Therefore, the act of speaking the Dharma is a dharma born from causes and conditions—illusory and empty; when causes and conditions disperse, it disappears. For example, a family comes together due to causes and conditions; when conditions cease, the family scatters. Therefore, one should not cling to or crave loved ones; all are illusory and empty. There is no banquet that never ends, no stage that never recedes; all come together due to causes and conditions, gathering and scattering impermanently.

Sentient beings always wish to see beautiful forms, but the forms seen are born from the mind; the mind that sees forms and the forms seen are both empty; form dharmas and mind dharmas are both empty; when born, they have no place of storage; when they cease, they have no place of cessation. All external form dharmas are born dependent on various conditions; although born, they have no origin; when conditions disperse, the form ceases; when ceased, they have no destination—coming without a source, going without a destination. The mind that sees forms is also due to the gathering and scattering of causes and conditions—coming without a source, going without a destination—all is false.

Original Text: All dharmas are like a drum. It is not made from one thing. Someone holds a drumstick and strikes the drum; the drum then produces sound. This drum sound is also empty. Future sounds are also empty. Past sounds are also empty. This sound does not come from the wood, leather, drumstick, or hand. The combination of all things produces the drum sound. The sound comes from emptiness and ends in emptiness. All things are like this. I, person, and lifespan are also like this. Their fundamental state is pure and without existence. From the cause of non-existence, dharmas are made. Dharmas are also without existence.

Explanation: All dharmas are like a drum; the drum is empty, containing nothing. If someone strikes it with a drumstick, the drum produces sound. The drum sound heard now is empty; sounds that will appear in the future are also empty; sounds that have ceased are also empty. These drum sounds do not come from the drumstick, nor from the hand, nor from the drum's leather, but are formed by the combination of the drum, drumstick, and hand. The drum sound comes from emptiness and returns to emptiness; all things are like this; I, person, and lifespan are also like this; their fundamental nature is empty, pure, and without existence; dharmas born from the cause of non-existence are also without existence.

The Buddha again used the example of drumming to say that all dharmas do not come from space, nor from all things, nor without cause. Space is without things and cannot produce any material form dharmas. Take a drumstick and strike a drum; the drum is made of leather; when struck, the sound "dong dong dong" emerges—where does that sound come from? If from the hand, the hand has no sound; if from the drumstick, the drumstick has no sound; the drum has no sound; space has no sound—if it had sound, it would not be called space. When not drumming, where does the "dong dong dong" sound go? Does it go into the hand? Into the drumstick? Into space? Or into the drum? The drum sound goes nowhere; the drum sound is false; it comes without a source and goes without a destination.

All dharmas are false like the drum sound; only when someone holds a drumstick and strikes can the drum produce sound. Then the "dong dong dong" drum sound is a dharma born from causes and conditions; dharmas born from causes and conditions are themselves empty. The drum itself is born from causes and conditions; the act of drumming is even more born from causes and conditions; the sound produced by the drum is also born from causes and conditions; all dharmas are empty and without self-nature. The present drum sound is empty; future drum sounds are empty; sounds produced by drumming in the past are also empty; all these sounds are empty. The sound does not arise from the drum, nor from the hand, nor from space; it is when these causes and conditions come together that the drum sound is produced. This drum sound has no place of origin and no place of destination; it comes from emptiness and goes to emptiness, empty coming and empty going. All dharmas are like this; all things are like this—empty coming and empty going, no origin and no destination.

For example, the formation, abiding, change, and extinction of the earth: when the earth gradually formed, where did it come from? When the earth is destroyed, such a large celestial body—where does it go? Mount Sumeru is countless times larger than the earth; when destroyed, the entire Mount Sumeru disappears, not even a speck remains—where does Mount Sumeru go? Later, a Mount Sumeru gradually forms again—where does this Mount Sumeru come from? Where does the entire universe come from? Where does it go? It has no origin and no destination.

Human lifespan is also like this. Sentient beings often think that the five aggregates are the self, the mark of self, mark of person; within this self or person, there is a lifespan of the self or person—this is the mark of a life, one of the four marks: mark of self, mark of person, mark of sentient beings, mark of a life. The mark of self is the mark of my five aggregates and eighteen elements; the mark of person is the mark of a person's five aggregates and eighteen elements; the mark of sentient beings is the mark of all sentient beings' five aggregates and eighteen elements. All four marks are false; they come without a source and go without a destination. The fundamental state of these dharma marks is empty, pure, and without existence. "Fundamental state" means the original nature; dharmas are originally empty and without existence, without origin. Using dharmas without existence to form new dharmas, the new dharmas are also empty and without existence.

Original Text: For example, when clouds gather, it becomes dark and rains. The rain does not come from the dragon's body, nor from the dragon's mind. All are done due to the dragon's causes and conditions, which bring about this rain. All dharmas come from nowhere and go nowhere.

Explanation: For example, when clouds in space gather together, becoming very dark and low, it rains. The rainwater does not come from the dragon's body, nor is it born from the dragon's mind; all are due to the dragon's relationship; causes and conditions come together, and rain is produced. All dharmas come from nowhere and go nowhere.

When clouds contain a large amount of rainwater, they become dark and gloomy, very dark; when the clouds can no longer hold the rainwater, it rains. Where does the rainwater come from? Not from the dragon's body. Although rain is under the dragon's jurisdiction, the dragon's body does not contain rain; no matter how large the dragon's body is, it cannot store this rain. Rainwater is not produced from the dragon's mind; the dragon's mind does not contain this rainwater. Rather, it is because the causes and conditions of sentient beings' good and evil karma come together that rain is produced.

What are the causes and conditions? When sentient beings' good conditions ripen, and rain is needed to moisten the land and for drinking, the dragon will cause rain, and rain is produced. When sentient beings' evil karma ripens, the dragon will cause excessive rain, and sentient beings suffer floods; or if there is no rain for years, sentient beings suffer droughts. Therefore, dharmas that appear due to the gathering of causes and conditions are empty and without existence. All dharmas are like rainwater—coming without a source and ceasing without a place of cessation.

Original Text: For example, a painter first prepares the canvas. Later, he mixes various colors. Then he paints on it. This painting does not come from the canvas or the colors. Following his intention, whatever he does is accomplished. Birth and death are like this. Each has different kinds. Hell, animals, hungry ghosts, heavens, and the human world are also like this. Those who understand this wisdom do not cling. Clinging brings existence.

Explanation: Like a painter wanting to paint, he first prepares the canvas, then mixes the needed pigments, and must have a brush. The painter holds the brush, dips it in the mixed colors, and then paints on the canvas. Whatever the painter paints—landscapes, portraits, whatever painting—where does the painting come from? The painting does not come from the painter's hand, nor from the pigments, nor from the canvas. Yet the painting appears following the painter's mind. Birth and death are like this; the various kinds of sentient beings in the four modes of birth and twenty-five realms of existence, and the world, are also like this. Those who understand this truth are wise and do not cling to any worldly dharmas; if one clings to worldly dharmas, there is suffering of birth and death.

The birth and death of sentient beings are like a painting—no source when coming, no destination when disappearing. Hell, animals, hungry ghosts, gods, humans—all are like this; born without a source, disappearing without a destination; all dharmas are this false, this empty, this impermanent—and impermanence is suffering. Those with wisdom who truly understand these principles no longer cling to these dharmas born from causes and conditions. If there is still a mind of clinging and craving, worldly dharmas will arise, existence in the three realms will arise, and birth and death cannot be transcended.

Original Text: The old woman, hearing the Buddha's words, was greatly delighted. She then said, "By the grace of the God of Gods, I have obtained the Dharma eye. Though my body is old and weak, I now attain peace."

Explanation: After hearing the Buddha expound these principles of dependent origination, the old woman was very joyful and said to the Buddha: "By the grace of the God of Gods, I have obtained the purity of the Dharma eye. Though my body is old and weak, my mind is now at peace."

"God of Gods" refers to the World-Honored One, the god among gods, more noble than gods. Among the beings of the three realms, gods are the most noble; the most noble among gods is the World-Honored One; the Buddha is the most honored in the three realms. Attaining the purity of the Dharma eye is the Śrāvaka's severance of the view of self, becoming a person from the first to the fourth fruit. After hearing the World-Honored One expound the Dharma of dependent origination, the old woman realized the emptiness and selflessness of the five aggregates and attained the purity of the Dharma eye. The eye observing dharmas is pure and wise; she became a noble sage, eliminated the karma for the three evil paths, and her mind attained peace. Her mind attained liberation, severed craving—this is the state of the third and fourth fruit persons, capable of entering Nirvāṇa, able to transcend birth and death in the three realms, and will not suffer in future lives; therefore, her mind can be at peace.

Original Text: Ānanda straightened his robes, knelt down, and said to the Buddha, "This old woman, hearing the Buddha's words, understood immediately. For what reason is her wisdom like this?" The Buddha said, "Her virtue is great and lofty. Therefore, she understood immediately. This old woman is my mother from the time when I first resolved to seek bodhi in a past life." Ānanda said to the Buddha, "Since she is the Buddha's mother from a past life, for what reason is she so poor and suffering?"

Explanation: Then Ānanda straightened his robes, knelt before the Buddha, and asked the Buddha: "This old woman, upon hearing the Buddha's Dharma, immediately attained the purity of the Dharma eye. For what reason does she have such wisdom?" The Buddha said: "This old woman is a person of great virtue and cultivation; because she has cultivated the path life after life, her virtuous roots are very deep, and she has great majestic virtue; therefore, upon hearing the Buddha expound the Dharma, she could realize understanding. This old woman is my mother from the time when I first resolved to seek the bodhisattva path in a past life." Ānanda said to the Buddha: "Since she is the World-Honored One's mother from a past life, for what reason is she so poor and suffering?"

Original Text: The Buddha said, "In the time of the Buddha Krakucchanda, I sought the bodhisattva path and wished to become a śramaṇa. My mother, out of affection, did not allow me to become a śramaṇa. I was sorrowful and did not eat for a day. Because of this, in subsequent births in the world, for five hundred lifetimes, she encountered such hardships."

Explanation: The Buddha said: In the time of the Buddha Krakucchanda, I sought to cultivate the bodhisattva path and wished to leave home to become a śramaṇa and cultivate the path. My mother, due to excessive affection for me, did not allow me to leave home to become a śramaṇa. I was sorrowful and troubled and did not eat for a whole day. Because of this, my mother, being born into this world, experienced poverty and suffering for a total of five hundred lifetimes.

The above is the story of causality regarding the old woman's poverty told by the World-Honored One. The old woman caused her son, who had resolved to seek the bodhisattva path, to feel sorrow for a whole day without eating and without fulfilling his wish to leave home. As a result, she received the karmic retribution of poverty and suffering for five hundred lifetimes. Cause and effect are thus inconceivable; a small cause leads to a great effect. Sentient beings, due to ignorance, often think the cause is small and insignificant, but actually, the origin of the matter is significant, and the consequences are quite severe without their realizing it. Therefore, practitioners must diligently guard the three karmas of body, speech, and mind, know causes and understand effects, not create unwholesome karma, not refrain from small good deeds because they are small, and not commit small evil deeds because they are small. An ant hole can break a dike, especially concerning major matters related to the Three Jewels and life and death; every word and action must be even more careful.

There is another causality story concerning the Buddha's son, Rāhula. In a past life, when Rāhula was cultivating the path, he was disturbed by mice and blocked their hole for six days, suffocating them to death. The karmic retribution was being trapped in his mother's womb for six full years. How much suffering must he have endured during those six years? Humans cannot endure staying in the womb for months; after eight or nine months, they must come out. Yet Rāhula stayed for six years; his five-aggregate body had long matured; the feeling must have been more painful than being in prison—squeezed within the mother's body, unable to move.

The five hundred lifetimes experienced by the old woman refer to five hundred human lifetimes. This does not include times when she was not human; altogether, the time period is extremely long. Being human is like surfacing in the ocean; if one does not live well as a human, one falls back into the ocean, descending into the three evil paths. The old woman came to the human realm five hundred times, always poor and suffering like this. A tiny bit of karmic action results in an extremely great karmic retribution. There are also people who fell into the Avīci hell due to a single sentence. Cause and effect are thus fearsome; therefore, body, speech, and mind must be pure, striving not to commit the slightest fault.

Original Text: The Buddha said to Ānanda, "After this old woman's life ends, she will be born in the land of Amitābha Buddha. There she will make offerings to all buddhas. After sixty-eight billion kalpas, she will become a buddha named Bhūṣaṃjña. Her buddha land will be called Manifestation. The clothing and food there will be like in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven. The people in her land will all live for one kalpa."

Explanation: The Buddha said to Ānanda: After this old woman's life ends, she will be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss of Amitābha Buddha, where she will make offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions. After sixty-eight billion kalpas, she will become a buddha named Bhūṣaṃjña; her buddha land will be called Manifestation. The clothing, bedding, food, and drink of all the people in the Manifestation Land will be like those in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven; the people in that land will all have a lifespan of one kalpa.

Because the old woman has already realized the fruit, she will be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss at least at the level of high-grade upper birth or high-grade highest birth. She will not reside in a lotus palace but will roam freely in the Land of Ultimate Bliss like a god, freely traveling to other buddha lands, making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions. Offerings include bodily, verbal, and mental acts; offerings of food, drink, and bedding; and Dharma offerings by studying with the buddhas. The people in the old woman's future buddha land will have all their food, drink, and living necessities like those in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven—all manifested by transformation. Merely by thinking of food, all kinds of delicious food appear; then, upon smelling it, it is consumed. The lifespan of the people in the land is one kalpa. Whether it is a great kalpa or a small kalpa is not specified; a small kalpa is 16.8 million years; a great kalpa is that multiplied by eighty. The lifespan of the people in the land is this long; thus, the lifespan of the Buddha Bhūṣaṃjña is at least this long, possibly longer.

When the World-Honored One predicted the old woman's buddhahood, the time was after sixty-eight billion kalpas. Although the time is very long, it is still finite. Becoming a buddha requires three immeasurable kalpas; cultivating to the eighth-ground bodhisattva requires two immeasurable kalpas; with one more immeasurable kalpa, one becomes a buddha. Sixty-eight billion kalpas is within the last immeasurable kalpa, meaning she is an eighth-ground or higher bodhisattva, indicating that the fruit attained by the old woman is that of a fourth-fruit Arhat or Pratyekabuddha. The Buddha usually predicts buddhahood for bodhisattvas when they reach the eighth ground. This old woman has already attained liberation at this point, so she should be a fourth-fruit Arhat. When reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, she turns her mind towards the Mahāyāna; hearing the Buddha expound the Dharma, she will attain the fruit of an eighth-ground bodhisattva, at most one immeasurable kalpa away from buddhahood. This is the very auspicious karmic retribution obtained by the old woman's cultivation.

Original Text: When the Buddha finished speaking this sutra, the old woman, Ānanda, the bodhisattvas, the bhikṣu saṅgha, the gods, dragons, ghosts, spirits, and asuras all greatly rejoiced. They touched their heads to the ground, paid homage to the Buddha, and departed.

Explanation: After the Buddha spoke this sutra, the old woman, Ānanda, the bodhisattvas, the bhikṣus, as well as gods, ghosts, spirits, and asuras all rejoiced greatly. They all touched their heads to the ground, paid homage to the World-Honored One, and then departed, signifying their faithful acceptance and practice. Thus, this Dharma assembly concluded.